The AISTS Athlete Scholarship

Benefits & funding

• 50% of the tuition fee of the Master of Advanced Studies in Sport Management & Technology.
• Tuition for the 2026–2027 edition is CHF 31,900, which puts the award at CHF 15,950.
• The other half of the fee, travel and living costs stay with the recipient. AISTS puts living costs in Lausanne at about CHF 2,400 a month including accommodation; its FAQ gives a range of CHF 2,400 to CHF 3,200 a month including rent.
• An enrolment deposit of CHF 3,000 is due within 15 days of the acceptance letter. It is non-refundable and counts towards the tuition fee.
• For the 2026–2027 edition the tuition invoice is dated 15 May 2026 and payable within 30 days; three instalments are possible subject to financial conditions.
• No living allowance, travel grant or salary is attached to the award.

Eligibility

• Open to high-achieving current and former athletes, with sporting results backed by documents.
• The master’s application comes first: a scholarship file is only considered for someone who has applied to the programme.
• Academic route one: a Master degree recognised by EPFL.
• Academic route two: a Bachelor degree recognised by EPFL with at least five years of work experience in any industry.
• Academic route three: a Bachelor degree recognised by EPFL with at least five years of combined relevant experience in sport.
• English: TOEFL 550 paper, 213 computer or 85 internet with at least 20 per section; IELTS 6.0 with no band below 5.5; or Duolingo English Test 110. A degree taught in English does not replace the test.
• The candidate must show they can pay the remaining 50% of the fee plus travel and living costs in Lausanne.
• No nationality, residency, gender or age requirement is published. The class averages about 29 years old with seven years of work experience.

Application process

1. 1
   Fill in the AISTS “Am I eligible?” form and wait for the emailed link to the online application.
2. 2
   Submit the master’s application: passport photo, passport copy, a 2–3 page motivation letter, CV, two recommendation letters (one academic, one professional, signed on letterhead), certified degree and transcripts with certified translation where needed, and an English test taken within the last 12 months.
3. 3
   AISTS answers within about three weeks of a complete application, and about four weeks after an application round closes.
4. 4
   Write a separate motivation letter of one to two pages for the Athlete Scholarship itself.
5. 5
   Attach documents verifying the sporting achievements — an official results extract, or an attestation from a National Olympic Committee or an International Federation.
6. 6
   Email the complete Athlete Scholarship application to admissions@aists.org before the deadline.

Program timeline

1. 30 November 2025, 23.59 CET

   deadline of the most recent Athlete Scholarship round, for the 2026–2027 edition.

2. End of September 2026

   the academic phase of the 2026–2027 edition begins in Lausanne.

3. the academic phase ends and the applied projects and professional experience phase begins.

   Early May 2027

4. December 2027

   the 2026–2027 edition ends.

5. Next round

   AISTS has not yet published scholarship dates for the following edition.